Thread: ISLAMIC law officially adopted in Britain

BetsyRoss wrote:

That her religion may still consider her married until her husband grants her a religious divorce doesn't change her civil rights outside of that religion.

From what I understand is that a husband can divorce according to Islamic law just by saying three times: I divorce you, I divorce you, I divorce you, and it would be held up by the religious court. A woman does not have the same option.

That is correct. We in the US would not recognize that as a proper divorce. I guess the UK has to. It is similar to the Orthodox Jewish law, wherein a man has to grant a woman a certificate of divorce (a 'get') in order for her divorce to be recognized by Orthodox Judaism. If he won't cooperate, they consider her to still be married to him.

Ok, here is what is on the line should the US decide to follow the UK's lead: Over here, religious law has no standing
outside of the religion, and religion cannot hand down civil or
criminal penalties, only religious. That is separation of church and
state in a nutshell.

Do you want a church to be able to fine or imprison you? Do you want a church to be able to keep you in a marriage that has gone bad, or conversely dump you from a marriage without a property and custody settlement other than that prescribed by a thousand-plus year Bedoin tradition?

Separation of church and state is why the Mormon church (and other tithing churches) can't sue members who don't pony up their tithe as they agreed to when the joined, and why they can't garnish their members' wages. Separation of church and state keeps suttee, honor killings, burkhas, purdah, niddah, lent, etc. from being legal and enforceable. Do you know what the Islamic penalty for converting to another religion is?

This is not a diversity thing. This is a freedom of religion thing.

Wasn't it religious persecution that brought the Pilgrims here in the first place? And though I am not well-versed in the history (I got it stuffed on me every school year and lost interest) but I believe there was a lot of collusion between the Church of England and the government which ran the jails and also considered the Puritans as wackos.
Religion should be private, whether Muslim, Bhuddist, Wiccan or a proponent of the latest cult to worship Kool-Aid. I just don't appreciate anyone stuffing religion into my life.
My grandmother used to say, whenever the ministers came to the door to teach their views of the Bible: I don't need a lawyer between me and my God. And this lady read the Bible daily, and she had translations in four languages.